Toehold handle for water skiing



March 29, 1966 s. J. LEONARD TOEHOLD HANDLE FOR WATER SKIING 2 Sheets-$heet 1 Filed Sept. 29, 1964 INVENTOR STEWART J. LEONARD BY M5 ATTORNEYS March 29, 1965 5, J, LEQNARD 3,242,897

TOEHOLD HANDLE FOR WATER SKIING Filed Sept. 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sneec 2 5 INVENTOR STEWART J .LEONARD fl/S ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,242,897 TOEHOLD HANDLE FOR WATER SKIING Stewart J. Leonard, Westport, Conn., assignor to 7 Alfred K. Tyll, Morris, Conn.

Filed Sept. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 400,054 Claims. (Cl. 115-6.1)

In the past twenty years a new sport of water ski-ing has developed. Water skiers do acrobatic tricks on water skis. Many of the tricks are done on one trick ski while the skier is holding onto the towline by engaging an apparatus attached thereto with only a foot or toes.

There are many requirements for a satisfactory handle suitable for use by the users foot and/ or toe, and these include the following:

(1) The handle must hold during the execution of the trick;

(2) The handle must come off should the skier fall, so he will not be dragged by the boat;

(3) It must be lightweight;

(4) The skiers foot must be able to, in a moments notice, be inserted easily and quickly into engagement with the handle or its associated equipment;

(5) The handle must be comfortable, and not chafe, and it must be the trick skiers greatest piece of equipment, besides his skis, or ski.

A practical embodiment of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 represents in perspective a practical embodiment of my invention when same is not in use;

FIG. 2 represents a top plan view of my invention in position to receive a foot or toes of the user;

FIG. 3 represents a top plan view of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 showing the location of the respective elements as the foot starts to take pressure from the U-shaped member;

FIG. 4 represents a top plan view of the above embodiments showing the users foot operatively engaged by the U-shaped portion after the handle bar has been manually dropped; and

FIG. 5 represents a side elevation of the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the above figures, the parts being in the positions they assume prior to final engagement of a foot with the U-shaped portion.

Broadly, my invention comprises an apparatus of the character described including a cross bar handle, flexible members attached thereto and extending therefrom, a U- shaped collar, guide members on the sides of said collar to receive said flexible members and balance said collar thereon, a flexible member extending across the open end of the U-shaped member and interconnecting the said flexible members through said U-shaped member, and means for conecting said flexible members to a source of power which is not shown.

Referring to the drawings in which the several parts are given the same numerals in each view, a cross bar or handle is designated by 1 and the flexible members fastened thereto adjacent its ends and extending therefrom are designated as 2 and 3. These flexible members are slidably received in guide sleeves 4 and 5 which are affixed to the sides of a U-shaped member 6.

Said U-shaped member 6 is provided at its open end with grommets 7 and 8. A flexible member 9 is spliced to and connects the flexible members 2 and 3 through said grommets. The splices are designated by 10 and 11 and the extensions of 2 and 3 by 13 and 12. The latter members are knotted at 14 and just beyond said knot are provided with a buoy or float 15 to float the equipment. Elements 12 and 13 terminate in a loop 16 which is attached to a tow (not shown).

It will be understood that the U-shaped member may be of leather, canvas or a combination of other materials having suitable flexibility. The flexible members extending from the handle are normally in the form of a rope and may be of plastic or other material having a suitable flexibility and tensile strength.

The operation of my device is as follows.

The loop 16 is attached to a tow (not shown) and the handle 1 is manually grasped by the skier.

At this point the elements assume the positions shown in FIG. 1 and they are held in this position by flexible members 2 and 3 in the sleeves 4, 5 on the U-shaped member 6, together with the flexible cross member 9 which extends through the grommets 7, 8.

When the foot or toes of the user are placed in the U- shaped member as shown in FIG. 3, the handle I dropped and towing action is continued, it will be noted that the U-shaped member 6 tends to grasp the foot and/or toes of the user. The reason for this action is the pull of the tow transmitted through the members 12 and 13 splices 10 and 11 to the members 2 and 3 against the U-shaped member 6 which is being engaged by the foot or toes of the user will tend to take up the slack in members 2 and 3 between the grommets 7 and 8 and the handle 1. This continuing action is clearly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. The continued pulling action of the tow when opposed by the foot pressure against the U-shaped member '6 will tend to cause the latter to seize as shown in FIG. 4 because of the slack in members 2 and 3 which occurs when the handle 1 is dropped. The towing pressure will at this point be taken up by the U-shaped member 6 and the flexible member 9 which is spliced at 10 and 11 into the continuations 13 and 12.

When it is desired to disengage the foot or toes, this is done by grasping the handle 1 and opposing the towing action by pulling back on said handle. This causes the elements to assume the position shown in FIG. 1 whereby the foot or toes are released. Reference is made to the arrows in FIG. 3 which indicate the direction of the several forces of the respective elements, and when the pressure of the foot against the U-shaped member 6 is removed or relieved by grasping and pulling back on the handle 1, the members 2 and 3 will be caused to slide through their respective side guides 4 and 5 to the left as indicated in FIG. 3. This motion will cause the U-shaped member 6 to open due to the forces applied as stated above and the grommets 7 and 8 provide a sliding engagement for the flexible member 9 which permits and encourages the opening of the right-hand end of the U- shaped member, as illustrated in FIG. 3, to the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

It will also be noted that the apparatus is maintained in an open and horizontal position suitable for further use as desired after the foot has been removed from the U-shaped member. This condition is maintained due to the fact that the side guides 4 and 5 on the U-shaped member 6 are of sufficient length to engage enough of the elements 2 and 3 which are slidable therein to support the member 6 in a position where it is easily accessible for further use when a foot or toes have been inserted as outlined above.

The following dimensions of the several elements have been found by experiment to be satisfactory although it should be understood that the dimensions from the center of one grommet measured around the U-shaped member to the center of the other grommet should be varied for different foot sizes. Several examples of the most eflicient measurement for respective foot sizes are shown below.

Sizes: Inches It has been found that the vertical dimension of the U-shaped member should be substantially 2%" as this causes the same to fit well directly behind the base of the toes of the skier. Ithas also been found that the length of the flexible member 9 should be substantially the width of the U-shaped member when its arms are parallel, as shown in FIG. 2. It should be noted further that this dimension is approximately /2 the length of the members 2 and 3 when such length is measured between the ends of the handle and the center of the grommets 7 and 8, respectively.

The reasons for these dimensions include provision of a satisfactory opening of the U-shaped member for quick engagement by the foot or toes of the user as well as affording some control over the distance the handle will drop when the parts have assumed the position shown in FIG. 4. This latter is necessary because it is highly desirable to have the handle quickly available for manual engagement as well as to minimize its movement to such an extent that it will not become entangled in the foot or toes of the user, and in the event that it is placed in a depending position, i.e., below the foot of the user when 41' the foot has been pointed downwardly, as is the case in the performance of certain tricks, it will be readily available.

Since it is evident that various. changes may be made in the construction, form and arrangement of the several parts without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention, I do not intend to be limited to the particular embodiments herein shown and described except as set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A device for use in water skiing comprising a handle, flexible means attached to its ends, a U-shaped, foot engaging member suspended on said means, side guides on said U-shaped member slidably engaging said flexible means, a flexible cross member interconnecting said flexible means through said U-shaped member, and other means for attaching said flexible means to a tow, whereby opposed forces applied to said handle and flexible means maintain the U-shaped member in open position on said flexible means and cross member.

2. The combination according to claim 1 in which said U-shaped member is holed in its opposed arms and said flexible cross member interconnects said flexible means through said holed arms.

3. The combination according to claim 1 in which said side guides are not less than one and one-quarter inches in length.

4. The combination according to claim 1 in which said U-shaped member is two and one-quarter inches in width.

5. The combination according to claim 1 in which said flexible cross member is of a length equal to slightly more than one-half the length of the flexible means attached to the handle measured from the handle to the connection of said flexible member with said flexible means.

No references cited.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR USE IN WATER SKIING COMPRISING A HANDLE, FLEXIBLE MEANS ATTACHED TO ITS ENDS, A U-SHPAED, FOOT ENGAGING MEMBER SUSPENDED ON SAID MEANS, SIDE GUIDES ON SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER SLIDABLY ENGAGING SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS, A FLEXIBLE CROSS MEMBER INTERCONNECTING SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS THROUGH SAID U-SHAPED MEMBER, AND OTHER MEANS FOR ATTACHING SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS TO A TOW, WHEREBY OPPOSED FORCES APPLIED TO SAID HANDLE AND FLEXIBLE MEANS MAINTAIN THE U-SHAPED MEMBER IN OPEN POSITION ON SAID FLEXIBLE MEANS AND CROSS MEMBER. 